


You Are My Sunshine

by Shiina



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Self-Discovery, boys being adorable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-22 20:32:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2520845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiina/pseuds/Shiina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by this tumblr post: http://setsuragi.tumblr.com/post/99635403829/novub-it-appears-that-i-am-adjusts-glasses<br/>It started out as a silly prompt, ended up being more serious and fluffy than expected</p>
<p>"It appears that I am..." Rei adjusted his glasses, flipped through some of his notes as if to double check his findings, and finally pressed his fingers to his temples dumfounded yet convinced. "Gay." His voice broke as he said the word, resulting in a confused but confident whisper. After all he had just spent a week thoroughly conducting an experiment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Are My Sunshine

"It appears that I am..." Rei adjusted his glasses, flipped through some of his notes as if to double check his findings, and finally pressed his fingers to his temples dumfounded yet convinced. "Gay." His voice broke as he said the word, resulting in a confused but confident whisper. After all he _had_ just spent a week thoroughly conducting an experiment.  
  
He was seated at the coffee table in his room with Nagisa currently sitting across from him absentmindedly playing with his hair and whatever objects he could reach without moving from his position, which happened to mostly be the odd assortment of knickknacks and papers Rei was 'studying' at the moment. Nagisa had been halfheartedly listening to Rei's babbling for about an hour and was feeling restless and bored, until the awkward whisper reached his ears. He perked up with instant interest, causing Rei to jump somewhat at the movement before eying him suspiciously. Until that second, Nagisa hadn't known why he was called over, since Rei had only said that he was 'investigating' and 'needed an outside perspective.' His imagination went straight to Rei dressed up as Sherlock Holmes, on the hunt for some clues as to who done it or where the candy was hidden. But alas when Nagisa had gotten there, Rei had just waved him in and they proceeded to spend the next hour sitting at the unimpressive coffee table as Nagisa tried to figure out what was happening, before giving up only a few minutes in. Most of the time was spent watching Rei fiddle with his pad of paper and incomprehensible scribbles on various pieces of paper and a napkin. He occasionally made weird faces to see if the frazzled Rei would notice; he didn't.  
  
Now Nagisa stared intently at Rei, waiting for more on the topic of what was just abruptly announced out of the silence. Rei felt the gaze that bore into him; it begged the question 'what did you just say?'  
  
Rei cleared his throat and readjusted his glasses before continuing with the silent question. "All my research and analysis leads back to one answer; I am, gay." Though the answer was supposed to be directed at Nagisa, the words sounded more like they were meant for himself.  
  
Nagisa tilted his head, "Are you sure Rei-chan?" He sat up, tone mixing between gentle, supportive care and eagerness.  
  
A small hum was all that came out of the taller boy. Rei still hadn't made eye contact with the blonde nor fully acknowledge he was there, or that he had been for the past hour patiently waiting.  
  
Nagisa leaned forward into Rei's downward glancing vision. "Hello?" He smiled softly as Rei finally made eye contact for the first time that day, and sat back.  
  
"Ah yes, sorry." Rei stumbled a bit, as if just realizing that he had invited Nagisa over for the night. "I do believe my findings are correct. I've used the scientific method to deduce my current answer. Not to mention as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle so eloquently put it, 'when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'" He paused for a moment. "It just never occurred to me that I could be... Gay." His eyebrows furrowed lightly. "I mean the whole concept of love is absurd anyway! I have never once thought about it seriously until now. How could someone as logical as me fall victim to the preposterous idea, and not to mention with a man!" Rei halfheartedly laughed his ridiculous laugh before becoming serious again. "To think that I would come to such a revelation.. My future has always been planned out since I was young; I would sail through high school, then onto college to become a doctor or physicist, find a beautiful wife, and have three kids. Yet now I'm completely unsure!" Rei was gesturing anxiously at himself and the air around him. "If I am being honest though, that was my parents future. Not mine." His tone turned melancholy. "My vision of the future changed when I joined the swim club last year. And... Met you." He sighed almost fondly at the mention, admittedly happy at the turn of events.  
  
Nagisa blinked looking a bit unsure and sad for the confused boy in front of him. "Rei-chan..."  
  
"You completely changed my world, Nagisa-kun." A slight blush lingered on the edges of his cheeks. "You showed me that it was okay to be myself and that calculations didn't always produce the best result.. I've watched you have so much fun with your life and I envied you, which is actually what prompted this journey of self-discovery." Feeling a touch embarrassed at just admitting to watching and admiring his best friend, he focused his gaze downward at his notes again. "I wanted to become more open with myself in hopes that I could become more carefree like you and Haruka-senpai.. And I've discovered a lot of things that maybe I should have noticed sooner." Rei looked up at the intently listening boy in front of him.  
  
"Um, how-- wh..." Nagisa scrunched his face to try and find the right words. "What exactly did you do to discover this, Rei-chan? And are you really sure?" Echoing his unanswered question from earlier.  
  
"Yes. I'm as sure as I can be without any experience." He nodded confidently. "I've done extensive research on the topic and read thoroughly. Not to mention I've observed the male species through images and..." He stopped abruptly before thinking he might as well be completely honest if he'd already gone this far. "I've, watched things." He swallowed, eying the blonde for a reaction.  
  
"What kind of things?" Nagisa sounded genuinely curious, picking up one of the note-filled papers to look at. Rei was temporarily in shock that Nagisa honestly had no idea what he was implying, he thought to himself that Nagisa should not be allowed to be that innocent with how devious he always is.  
  
He shook his head in disbelief, baffled that he had to explain. "Well, you know. Mature, grownup sort of films... Of the.. Explicit nature..." He awkwardly adjusted his glasses hoping that the boy took the hint and that his face wasn't as red as it felt.  
  
Nagisa's eyes widened in astonishment and he dropped the paper he'd been holding. "REI-CHAN WATCHED PORN?!" He smiled an open-mouthed grin while shooting Rei a glance that conveyed, 'oh my god Rei-chan you rebel.'  
  
All the color ran out of Rei's face as he lunged across the table, covering the obnoxiously loud blonde's mouth with both hands, banging one of his knees underneath on the way. "SHHHH! Nagisa-kun! Don't yell, my parents will hear!" He violently whispered, glancing at the closed door hoping his parents were out of earshot.  
  
Nagisa just sent Rei a sly look as he uncovered his mouth. "I never knew you were such a pervert Rei-chan." He teased, leaning back on his hands.  
  
"I-I am not." He protested mortified. "I was just doing research." He sat back down, rubbing his now sore knee. "I needed to know if I--" He choked on his words, "-could get... aroused.. by... men." He suddenly felt extremely shy knowing that his best friend knew that he had recently watched gay porn and had gotten aroused by it. "Though it was so lewd most of the time that I just felt a little uncomfortable and gross. I think I prefer more intimate and loving encounters..." Rei couldn't believe how blunt he was being.  
  
"Rei-chan really is a pervert, telling me his fantasies~" Nagisa snickered, pointing an accusatory finger at his blushing friend.  
  
"THAT WAS NOT--" he stopped, realizing he was now the one being loud, "-one of my fantasies. They are much more in depth and beautiful than that." He said matter-of-factly before realizing what he had just admitted. He rested his face in his hands and his elbows on the table. This boy was going to be the death of him someday.  
  
"It's ok though, I am too." Nagisa said absentmindedly fiddling with his fingers.  
  
"You are too what?" Rei looked up confused.  
  
"Gay." He stated tilting his head to look at Rei.  
  
"What?" The look on his face indicating the thought hadn't ever seriously crossed his mind.  
  
"Well, yeah. I thought it was pretty obvious actually..." He shrugged nervously and scratched his cheek with an index finger, averting his gaze.  
  
"Oh..." Rei adjusted his glasses feeling a little more comfortable, yet at the same time growing more self conscious. "I honestly never thought about it, which may seem surprising since this whole experience was prompted by you, and I even ended up discovering my own sexuality... But I assure you, I didn't know."  
  
"I thought maybe you knew or at least assumed this whole time. But that's ok! It's actually kind of nice that you didn't just stereotype me because of how flamboyant I can be..." His eyes were still downcast and his body language seemed to indicate that he was the one feeling shy now. He rubbed his hands together under the table unsure of what to say next.  
  
"You didn't stereotype me when we first met, so I'm glad to be able to return the favor. However, I'm not exactly sure you do fit that stereotype. While you do exhibit flamboyant tendencies, you more so just exude enthusiasm and possess a naturally radiant aura. Your personality would be comparable to sunshine, if I were to compare the two feelings. Everyone seems to be drawn to you and your overflowing amount of happiness, which happens to be very contagious so it is of no surprise to me. I initially assumed you to just be a people person if anything; a delightful ray of light ready to please. Of course I like to think I know you better now and would say that you are much more than just a people person or please-er. You genuinely care for anyone who goes to you for comfort, and are probably more empathetic than is necessarily healthy. I have also noted that you try not to bother anyone with your troubles and tend to either run away from them or work them out by yourself. You are kind and surprisingly caring, but more fragile than anyone would guess.." It was only now that Rei realized he'd gone into an in depth analysis of his friend's personality traits. He cleared his throat. "W-what I mean to say is, you are much more than a stereotype and anyone who says otherwise will have to answer to me.. As I seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject." He attempted to suppress a blush as he hid his face in the guise of adjusting his glasses.  
  
As Rei hesitantly looked up to see the reaction to his unwarranted analytical speech, he was met with a face that he was not expecting; an amazing and indescribable face. The blonde was looking at him with such complete and genuine gratitude that it made the taller boy feel emotional; he wanted to ingrain the image in his mind forever because no one was worthy of the beautiful face he was receiving. Nagisa's eyes were half teary over the fact that he didn't have to hide behind a false face or stereotype with Rei. The walls he normally hid behind were gone right now; he was completely vulnerable. To Rei he was a fragile ball of sunshine. _Rei compared him to sunshine._ The emotion he felt was so sincere that it was overwhelming him to the point of tears. The feeling of acceptance and understanding on another level was completely new to him, as until now he had been written off as just that; a people please-er.  
  
"Rei-chan..." Nagisa's lower lip quivered softly as the words fell out of his mouth as a gentle, unbelieving half-whisper. A tear finally rolled down one cheek as he leaned across the table, kneeling with one leg on top of all the papers to hug Rei. He buried his face into Rei's neck, the contact muffling his voice. "..nk you, Re... chan..." He hugged just as sincerely as he meant the words. Nagisa shifted so that he was sitting on the table with a leg on either side of Rei's torso with his arms draped around his neck, face still buried there.  
To Rei it was one of the best hugs he'd ever had; gentle yet firm, emotionally heavy, and heartfelt. He could practically feel all of Nagisa's pent up sadness and stress over the matter, gushing out like the dam had finally broken. The wave that came from it washed over him and he squeezed tightly back into the hug, entangling a hand into the back of the boy's hair protectively. He wondered how long Nagisa had been struggling with his identity and how the perception others had of him affected it to elicit such an emotional response.  
  
They stayed like that for a few minutes, both of them needing the comfort and wanting the close contact. Rei remarked to himself at how surprisingly comfortable the position and embrace was. It was natural and he felt more at peace now than he could ever remember being.  
  
As they mutually pulled back from the hug, they stopped to gauge each others expressions. Their faces lingered merely centimeters apart; Rei looked up into Nagisa's eyes as he sat back on the table and then both their gazes fell to the other's lips. There was no tension between them in this moment, if anything they were so in tune with each other and how they felt that things were easy. It was easy to move those last few centimeters. It was easy to press their lips together. It was easy to get lost in the sensation, even if it was somewhat clumsy. It wasn't awkward or forced but instead felt like it was always meant to be this way. Easy.  
  
Their kiss wasn't fueled by expectations or desire and while it wasn't necessarily heated, it warmed them both to the core. Each movement was soft and slow, neither of them eager to do anything other than savor the perfect moment. Rei's hand came down from the blonde's hair to rest on his cheek, a thumb wiping away the remnants of a tear as they parted. Nagisa brushed their nosed together tenderly in a small Eskimo kiss, giving Rei one of the most beautiful smiles he'd ever seen. He loved that look, and the heavenly glow that encompassed the boy from the slowly setting sun shining through the window only amplified the feeling. Yeah, he definitely felt like sunshine.

 

* * *

  
  
In the time it took for night to fall and the last drops of twilight to disappear beyond the horizon, they had gone from their reassuring caress on the table to an entangled mess of limbs on the floor. They were laying facing each other with their legs intertwined and fingers interlocked on one hand, propping themselves up on their elbows with the free arm. For a long time they stayed in silence, not needing words to express just what they felt, but instead using the small touches and glances to convey everything. The smell of imminent rain wafted through the partially open window and settled in the room, adding to the serene atmosphere and making the two wish the moment could last a lifetime.  
  
Rei leaned down and pressed a kiss into the golden hair. "I'm glad I invited you over today."  
  
Nagisa hummed softly, "Me too... And, thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about your discovery. It means a lot to me to know that you feel comfortable enough to admit something like that." His tone was sleepy but honest.  
  
"You're my best friend you know. I couldn't imagine telling anyone else first or asking for help from someone other than you.. It was the obvious and only choice for me."  
  
"Still, thank you Rei-chan. You made me feel special today, and not just because you told me first." A bashful expression played across his face. "You compared me to sunshine..." He murmured, meekly peering up at his friend.  
  
"You are my sunshine, Nagisa-kun." He pressed the tips of their noses together, eyes fixating on each other. "My only sunshine.." He said in a quiet sing-song voice.  
  
_You make me happy, when skies are grey_  
_You'll always know, dear_  
_How much I love you_  
_So please, be my sunshine today_  
  
Nagisa snuggled his head under Rei's chin, feeling overly fuzzy inside.  
  
"I'm sorry my voice isn't exactly the most pleasant and I'm no singer, but I hope it conveyed my feelings clearly enough." Rei said abashedly.  
  
"It was beautiful." Voice slightly muffled. Nagisa's breath was warm against his skin as he pressed a chaste kiss to his neck, snuggling in closer so their bodies were flush together. Rei unlinked their hands to wrap an arm around Nagisa's waist, holding him close before rolling them both over so that the blonde was laying on top of him, legs in between is own.  
  
Nagisa closed his eyes and settled down on Rei, hands resting on his chest and a cheek resting on his hands. It was comforting to listen to and feel the steady heartbeat of the taller boy as they lay together. "Rei-chan is comfy..." Rei would have missed the sigh of words had he not been paying such close attention to the smaller boy's tranquil face. Nagisa sounded as though he was slipping into sleep, and Rei brought up a hand to lightly caress his hair. An airy, content noise escaped the boy's lips at the touch and in a few seconds, he was asleep. Their breathing synchronized as Rei admiringly observed the passing expressions on Nagisa's face as he dreamed; he hoped it was a good dream.  
  
"Rei-chan... nnn...." The boy mumbled happily in his rest, luring a captivated grin out of the taller boy. He became increasingly drowsy as he watched, mesmerized by the slumbering boy on his chest.  
  
The content smile never left his face as Rei too, fell victim to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew! First non-crack fic done, let me know what you think~ And if you guys like it, I might consider adding a second chapter entailing when they wake up. :D
> 
> Also I know that's not how the song goes but, it was the version my mom used to sing to my sister and I when we were little, and I thought it fit better with the theme. \\(´v｀)


End file.
